'1984' in 2024: Microsoft President's Dire Facial Recognition Warning

[Lucian Armasu]

Microsoft President Brad Smith warned that if governments don't start regulating the use of facial recognition, the year 2024 could become just like the fictional year 1984 in the book with the same name.

'1984' in 2024: Microsoft President's Dire Facial Recognition Warning : Read more

 

[shrapnel_indie]

Earlier this year, Smith called for governments to regulate the use of facial recognition technology so that user’s rights aren’t constantly violated in the future by corporations and government agencies.

Sadly, not all governments play by their own rules. Many hate competition in the private sector in certain areas.

 

[TMTOWTSAC]

I wonder how he reconciles those statements with the actions of his own company in regards to tracking the location and activities of their customers.

 

[bit_user]

I wonder how he reconciles those statements with the actions of his own company in regards to tracking the location and activities of their customers.

It's a good question, but perhaps you might find that he's not happy about it.

A lot of times, people in industry want regulations to hold their competitors back. Because, if the competition crosses a certain line, they have to follow or risk going under.

So, in a world where Google and Facebook are monetizing people's data, MS might feel it has no choice but to do the same. That's different than saying they're going there eagerly, or even willingly.

 

[Mipam_]

Guy Fawkes mask anyone?

 

[Peter Martin]

i have bad news for you. It's already 1984 out there.

 

[stdragon]

Already happening in China with massive surveillance. All this to build your "social credit score" which has nothing to do with personal finances. It has everything to do with your citizen ranking (ladder?) that favors homage to the government as the demigod force that demands respect and attention.

The future of AI? It's not to empower you. It's to empower those that own it OVER YOU.

I feel like Fight Club where I'm just waiting for the entire "system" to collapse under tyranny of the state by the state.

 

[Peter Martin]

I feel you brother.

 

[jeyman]

Worried about facial recognition tracking you? How many people have smart phones or other gadgets they carry? You're a willing participant in being tracked and monitored. All this does is loop in the few stragglers that don't have such devices. I'm not saying I like it or that it is in any way acceptable, but face it (no pun intended), it's already too late.

 

[TMTOWTSAC]

I wonder how he reconciles those statements with the actions of his own company in regards to tracking the location and activities of their customers.

It's a good question, but perhaps you might find that he's not happy about it.

A lot of times, people in industry want regulations to hold their competitors back. Because, if the competition crosses a certain line, they have to follow or risk going under.

So, in a world where Google and Facebook are monetizing people's data, MS might feel it has no choice but to do the same. That's different than saying they're going there eagerly, or even willingly.

Fair point. For a long time before the subprime mortgage crash in the US a number of financial institutions wanted nothing to do with them. But when their competitors were raking in money (on paper at least) hand over fist they didn't have a lot of choices. Either hop on board or get left behind and go bankrupt the old fashioned way.

If that's the way he feels he has my sympathies. But, MS as a company? Here's a patent application from 2012 that MS filed, describing how they can use a camera on your TV to determine the number of people present in a room, their identities, and the content they are watching for the purposes of limiting movie rentals (for example) from displaying if unauthorized people are present.

Seriously.

So the screen can shut itself off if someone walks into the room who didn't pay to watch your rental/stream/etc.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20120278904

 

[homeybaloney]

theres one government and law for targeted individuals and one for everyone else, so nothing to worry about if your on the watching side.

 

[shtldr]

In 2024??? The dude likely hasn't visited Youtube, Twitter or Facebook lately... with all its censorship and persecution of "dissenting" (unwanted) opinion. Disagreeing with feminists, multiculturalists (cultural marxists) and left wing politics in general is not tolerated, regardless of whether it's true. Hurting anyone's feelings is apparently more important than truth - welcome to the post-truth society in 2018.

1984 is already on track and it's not coming from facial recognition LOL.